Encyclopedia of Islamic herbal medicine

237 Pages·2011·2.036 MB·English

by  Morrow, John Andrew

Encyclopedia
of Islamic
Herbal Medicine
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Encyclopedia
of Islamic
Herbal Medicine
J A M
OHN NDREW ORROW
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Morrow, John A. (John Andrew), ¡97¡–
Encyclopedia of Islamic herbal medicine / John Andrew Morrow.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7864-4707-7
softcover : 50# alkaline paper
¡. Herbs—Therapeutic use—Encyclopedias. 2. Materia medica,
Vegetable—Encyclopedias. 3. Medicine, Arab—Encyclopedias.
4. Islam—Encyclopedias. I. Title.
RM666.H33M665 2011 615.3'2103—dc23 2011034281
BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE
© 2011John Andrew Morrow. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, i ncluding photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without p ermission in writing from the p ublisher.
Front cover © 2011Shutterstock
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 6¡¡, Je›erson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
To Rachida with love
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Note on Arabic Transliteration 1
Introduction 3
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA
Acacia/Samrah 29 Costus/Qus™, Kust 80
Aloe/®abir, ®abr 30 Cucumber/KhiyyIr, QithI’ 82
Aloeswood/‘Ūd al-Hindn 32 Cumin/Kamm¨n 84
Anabasis/AshnIn 35 Cyclamen/Bukh¨r Maryam 85
Apples/TuffI∏ 36 Date/Tamr, Ru™b, ‘Ajwah, Bala∏,
Banana/©al∏ 37 Nakhl 86
Barley/Sha‘nr 39 Dill/Shabath, San¨t 88
Basil/Ray∏In, π¨k 42 Eggplant/BIdhinjIn 90
Beans/BIqalI 44 Endive/HindibI’ 91
Beet/Silq 45 Fennel/RIziyInaj 93
Ben/BIn 47 Fenugreek/πulbah 96
Black Seed/al-πabbah al-SawdI’, Fig/Tnn 100
Sh¨nnz 51 Fleawort/Bizr Qa™¨nI, Ashbiy¨sh 101
Bottle Gourd/Qara‘, DubbI’, Yaq™nn 54 Frankincense/Kundur, LubIn 103
Camphor/KIf¨r 56 Garden Cress/ThufI’ 106
Caper/KabbIr 59 Garlic/Thawm, F¨m, Th¨m 107
Caraway/Karawyah, KarawyI 61 Ginger/Zanjabnl 111
Carob/‘Anam 62 Grape/‘Inab, Karam 115
Carrot/Jazar 64 Gum Arabic/®amgh ‘Arabn 116
Cedar/Arz 66 Harmal (Syrian Rue)/πarmal 118
Celery/Karafs 67 Henna/πinnI’ 120
Chickpea/πummu• 68 Indigo/Kutm, Wasmah 123
Christ’s Thorn/Sidr, Nabaq 70 Jasmine/YIsamnn, Zanbaq 124
Chrysanthemum/GhabnrI’ 72 Leek/KurrIth 126
Citron/Utruj 74 Lemon Balm/BIdhar¨j 126
Clove/Qaranful 76 Lemongrass/Idhkhnr 128
Colocynth/πan≤al 78 Lentils/‘Adas 129
Coriander/Kuzbarah 80 Lettuce/al-Khas 130
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Table of Contents viii
Lovage/KIshin 131 Quince/Safarjal 166
Marjoram/Marzanj¨sh, Mardaq¨sh 132 Radish/Fujl 168
Marshmallow/al-Khayrn, al-Kha™mn 134 Raisin/Zabnb 169
Melons/Ba™™nkh, Bi™™nkh 135 Rice/Aruz 170
Millet/Kasab 138 Rose/Ward 172
Miswak/MiswIk 138 Rue/SadhIb 174
Mustard/Khardal 141 Saffron/Za‘farIn 176
Myrobalan/Halnlaj, Balnlaj, Amlaj 143 Senna/SanI 179
Myrrh/Murr 145 Sesame/Simsim 181
Myrtle/As 146 Sneezewort/Kundus 182
Narcissus/Narjis 147 Spurge/Shubrum 183
Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts)/ Sumac/SummIq 185
MukassarIt (Jawz, Lawz) 150 Sweet Flag/Dharnrah 186
Olive/Zayt, Zayt¨n 151 Tamarisk/©arfI’, Ghaz, Athal 187
Onion/Ba•al 154 Terebinth/Ba™m, Bu™m 188
Orange/Naranj, Turunj, Utruj 156 Thyme/Sa‘tar 189
Palm Tree/Nakhl 158 Truffles/KamI’ 191
Pear/K¨mnthrI 159 Turnip/Saljam 192
Plums/IjjI• 160 Violet/Banafsaj 193
Pomegranate/RummIn 161 Watercress/Jirjnr 194
Pseudo-Saffron/Waras 163 Wheat/πin™ah 196
Purslane/Baqalah al-πamqI’ 164 Wormwood/Shn∏ 197
Glossary of Technical Terms 201
Bibliography 208
Index 213
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my wife Rachida Bejja proofreading the work and providing important
and my sons YI-Snn and ©I-HIfor lovingly sup- corrections and suggestions. I am most moved
porting my scholarship. I would also like to by her kindness, generosity, support and encour-
thank my parents, Lisette and Andy Morrow, for agement, and count myself honored to have her
providing me with the best education possible as a colleague.
and for always encouraging my academic en- I am also honored to have counted on the crit-
deavors. icism of the following: Dr. Andrew J. Newman,
I am most grateful to Rachida Bejja for Reader in Islamic Studies and Persian, and Grad-
painstakingly proofreading the Arabic translit- uate School Director at the University of Edin-
eration. I am equally grateful to my colleagues burgh, who researches the legal bases of Islamic
Ab¨ Dharr Héctor Manzolillo, a professional medical theory and practice; Dr. Fabrizio Speziale,
translator by trade, Dr. Ginny Lewis, an associate a specialist in the history of Islamic medicine
professor of German at Northern State Univer- from the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle–Paris 3;
sity, in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and Dr. Qudsia Suleman Said, M.Sc., Researcher III for the Di-
Nizami, an assistant professor of ‘Ilm al-Advia vision of Basic Biomedical Sciences at the Uni-
at the prestigious Hamdard University in India, versity of South Dakota’s Sanford School of
and co-author of Classification of UnInnDrugs: Medicine, and the author and coauthor of a vast
With English and Scientific Names, for ensuring number of scientificstudies; Dr. Diego Estomba,
the accuracy of the Spanish, German, and UnInn a medical doctor, coroner, and specialist in
botanical names. Besides reviewing the names rheumatology, who has written about Mapuche
of the herbs covered in this encyclopedia, Pro- Indian ethnobotany in Patagonia; and especially
fessor Nizami updated my information regarding Deni Bown, the esteemed British herbalist and
UnInn institutes of higher learning throughout author of The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their
the world. Special thanks must also be given to Uses, a work that has been a great source of in-
the outstanding reference librarians at Northern formation and inspiration for me. These distin-
State University who helped me obtain even the guished herbalists, scholars, scientists, medical
most obscure books that I required to complete doctors and specialistsreviewed this publication,
my research. providing valuable insight and advice.
I am indebted to Professor Barbara Castleton Any errors that remain in this work are mine
from al-Akhawayn University in Morocco for alone, of course.
ix